


dancing unaware

by Areiton



Series: Without Words - Stony Love Confessions [14]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Character Study, Dancing, Engagement, Established Relationship, M/M, POV Pepper Potts, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Pepper Potts & Tony Stark Friendship, Tony Stark Has A Heart, soft tony stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:48:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27410713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Areiton/pseuds/Areiton
Summary: She always thought that love would look good, on Tony.
Relationships: Pepper Potts & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Without Words - Stony Love Confessions [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1748689
Comments: 6
Kudos: 145





	dancing unaware

Sometimes. Not often--not always--but  _ sometimes _ , when she comes down stairs, she isn’t deafened by the music, and it stings, just a little. 

She remembers when they were together. It doesn’t hurt anymore, that things didn’t work out between them. They were always better friends than lovers--Tony took so much  _ energy _ and she didn’t need someone to herd and corral--she needed someone who loved her, who was there at the end of the day without an endless series of crisis for her to manage, who curled around her in bed instead of changing the world in the basement. 

Tony didn’t need a PA or a CEO or a boss--he needed the steady rock that he could beat his genius against, the hand that caught him when he faltered--he needed someone who understood his genius and his hero complex and his  _ drive _ and she didn’t. 

But sometimes, when she comes down the stairs to the lab and the rolling lyrics of an old big band song greets her, it still stings, a miniscule hurt before she sees them: Steve’s broad shoulders and golden head tipped down, protective and attentive, Tony curled small and trusting against his chest, hands caught in Steve’s, eyes closed as Steve leads. And always there’s a smile, small and sweet, curling up Tony’s lips. 

She always thought that love would look good, on Tony.

Once. 

Once she comes down and there’s something different in the air, the sweet piano strains of Scarborough Fair, and she’s momentarily thrown to a decade ago, when Tony sat at a piano and played for her, and she listened to his drunk confession--that he wanted to dance to it at his wedding. 

She watches, unnoticed, as they dance now, Steve and Tony and the light catching on the ring on Tony’s finger, and she smiles, because Tony deserves this. 

Tony deserves someone who will lead him in dances and coax him to sleep and hold him steady. Who presses gentle kisses to his hair and cradles him like he’s precious and dances with him to his favorite song, the song his mother taught him to love. 

She smiles, and turns to go, leaving them dancing behind her. 


End file.
